Search Operation for Missing Navy Helicopters in Japan
A major search operation continued off Japan for seven people missing after two navy helicopters apparently collided over the weekend, with one crew member confirmed dead.
Search Operation Details
- The SH-60K helicopters, each with four crew on board, were conducting submarine location drills off the Izu Islands in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday night.
- Ten ships and five aircraft from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force were combing the waters, aided by others from the Air Self-Defense Force and the coast guard.
- Rescuers found one person who was later confirmed dead, along with debris and flight recorders, but there was no trace of the seven missing crew.
Statements from Officials
“It is a matter of the utmost regret that we lost our important personnel as they engaged in a very tough, late-night training which was conducted in order to fulfill their duties,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a televised legislative committee session on Monday.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said there was no information so far from the flight recorders to suggest any technical problems with the aircraft.
Incident Details
- Communication with one of the helicopters was lost off the island of Torishima at 10:38 p.m. on Saturday.
- At about 11:04 p.m., the military realized that communication with the other aircraft was also lost in the same area.
Background Information
The crash comes as Japan accelerates its military buildup and fortifies its defenses on southwestern Japanese islands in the Pacific and East China Sea to counter threats from China’s increasingly assertive military.
Japan has conducted its own extensive naval exercises as well as joint drills with the United States and other partners in recent years.
Lastly, the latest mishap follows previous incidents involving Japanese military helicopters, highlighting the importance of safety measures and precautions in such operations.